Heavy rains that pelted Jaipur could not dampen spirits at the Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022. It was an event that was in many ways a harbinger of hope and optimism for the travel and tourism industry that was trying to recover from the depths that the events of the past two years had pushed it into. RDTM 2022 acted like a shot in the arm to a beleaguered travel and tourism sector. The RDTM 2022 also shone the spotlight on lesser-known destinations like Mandawa and Banswara, apart from its many heritage sites.
RDTM 2022 was organized by the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR), and Rajasthan Tourism, Government of Rajasthan.
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Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 | RDTM 2022
It was the second edition of the Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart, the first one had been held in the year 2018. The event had been launched with the intention of it being an annual affair, however, circumstance intervened and it was not to be. The resurgence of Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart as an event to watch for on the calendar of Indian travel events happened in great style at Jaipur which was the venue of RDTM 2022.
Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 – The Inauguration
Clarks Amer Jaipur provided a perfect backdrop for the inaugural function of the Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart. Dr B.D.Kalla, Rajasthan’s Minister for Arts and Culture inaugurated the event in the presence of stalwarts from the tourism sector, bureaucrats, media, and almost everyone you could find in a Travel and Tourism Directory.
The tone for the event was set by a sizzling performance by Mame Khan, Rajasthan’s celebrated folk singer. RDTM 2022 unfolded in an aura of euphoria, as it was held against the glad tidings of tourism being granted industry status by the Government of Rajasthan.
Rajasthan’s Industries Minister, Ms Shakuntala Rawat, echoed everyone’s sentiments as she mentioned that, “the grant of industry status to the tourism sector and the allocation of Rs. 1,000 Cr, for tourism development in the 2022-23 state budget, would make Rajasthan a frontrunner in the sector.”
The event also saw the release of the Rajasthan Film Tourism Policy 2022 and a booklet on the MoU for the Incredible Cultural Heritage with UNESCO.
Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 – RDTM 2022 At Birla Auditorium
After the formal inauguration of the Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 on the evening of July 22 at Clarks Amer, Jaipur, the action shifted to the famous B.M. Birla Auditorium, whose imposing facade welcomed visitors to its fold. The inauguration of the exhibition was done with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by HH Maharajah Gaj Singh Ji, the Principal Secretay of Tourism Govt. of Rajasthan, Ms Gayathri Devi, and other dignitaries.
A frenzy of excitement was palpable as invited buyers thronged the venue with much anticipation and expectation. The Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 was on at the Birla Auditorium on the 23rd and 24th of July.
Rajasthani folk dancers dressed in their traditional and colourful costumes danced to the lilting music of folk songs and welcomed visitors at the Birla Auditorium. Local artisans showcased handicrafts near the reception area of the auditorium and grabbed eyeballs.
Talking about RDTM 2022, Mr Khalid Khan, Chairman of FHTR, said, “It is a sincere effort by Rajasthan’s Department of Tourism and FHTR because, for the last two years, the industry has been on a ventilator, and this is the first event of its kind where we have invited domestic operators from across India.”
The Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022, saw more than 200 exhibitors showcase their tourism products and services, before 400 buyers from across India and about 150 buyers from Rajasthan itself. The exhibitors included a plethora of products and services that ranged from 5-star hotels and resorts to small arts and crafts units.
Mr Mohan Singh Mertia, Secretary General, FHTR talking about the response to RDTM 2022, said, ” The response was very, very good, we had planned for about 7,000 buyer-seller meetings, but we had 7,000 plus pre-fixed meetings and apart from this there were people who registered as Buyers in the last minute, and there were more than a 100 manual meetings.”
Talking about FHTR and the role that the organization has played in Rajasthan, Mr Tarun Bansal, Treasurer, FHTR, said, “We are a body that along with the Government of Rajasthan is trying to promote domestic tourism in Rajasthan which is a superb state that has an emotional connect with almost everybody in India.”
The importance of RDTM 2022 was underlined by the many important dignitaries who visited it. Among them were, the Rajasthan Minister of Art & Culture, Dr B.D. Kalla; Rajasthan Minister of Industries, Ms Shakuntala Rawat; Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, Ms Usha Sharma; Principal Secretary, Rajasthan Tourism, Ms Gayatri Rathore; Director of Tourism, Ms Rashmi Sharma; Chairman of Rajasthan Small Industries Corporation (RSIC), Mr Rajiv Arora; President Emeritus, Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA), Mr Gaj Singh, and Chairman of RTDC, Mr Dharmendra Rathore.
Rajasthan Government’s Support To Tourism In The State
The state of Rajasthan has been in the limelight for being the first state in India to grant industry status to tourism, which comes with a string of benefits. Apart from this, there are a number of initiatives that are geared toward boosting tourism in the state. Mr Pawan Kumar Jain, Joint Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, spoke to us about some of the initiatives taken by the government in this regard.
Speaking about the different programmes initiated by the Tourism Department of the Government of Rajasthan, Mr Jain said, “The skills of the local artists and artisans have been upgraded and enhanced by a scheme launched by the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan in association with UNESCO in 4 districts of Rajasthan, namely Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner.”
Mr Jain also spoke about the newly launched Film Tourism Policy 2022, he said, “by way of films tourism would be promoted, we are giving filmmakers a good amount of subsidy, shooting at monuments under the control of the state government would be free for shooting after getting requisite permissions, state-owned hotels would provide a discount of 50% to film crews shooting in the state of Rajasthan.”
RDTM 2022 – Knowledge Sharing Sessions
A very interesting and unique feature of RDTM 2022 was the knowledge-sharing sessions that were organized to bring into focus domains and issues that were dear to the travel fraternity.
The sessions which were spread over two days brought into focus different aspects related to tourism in Rajasthan.
The sessions that evoked good responses also provided a fitting forum for the dissemination of information and discussion.
The presence of dignitaries like the Chairman of RTDC, Mr Dharmendra Rathore, and HH Maharajah Gaj Singh Ji, provided a greater impetus to these sessions.
- The resurgence of the Shekhawati region as a destination of the future
- Cultural Tourism in Western Rajasthan
- Opportunities and Challenges of Inbound Tourism by SEPC (Services Export Promotion Council)
- Rural and Agro Tourism
- Medical Tourism In Rajasthan
- Tourism Policies and Incentives For Investment in Tourism Sector in Rajasthan
Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 – What The Sellers Had To Say
The Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart provided an ideal platform for many travel products and services suppliers of Rajasthan to showcase their offerings. We spoke to a few of them about their experience with RDTM 2022, and here is what they had to say.
“RDTM is an effort to get all travel agents from India in one place and try and promote Rajasthan for better business, and this helps everyone to promote and showcase their product at one point,” said Mr Angad Deo, Director, Mandawa Haveli. He is from the Mandawa family which has pioneered the concept of heritage hotels and also owns the Castle Mandawa hotel which was the original castle of the family in Mandawa.
HH Maharawal Jagmal Singh Ji, Banswara, spoke about the undiscovered potential of Banswara, the city of 100 islands in Rajasthan, he said, “Banswara has a vibrant culture, it has hills, rivers, undulating plains, and is perfect for nature lovers and also has great potential for adventure tourism.” He went on to add that he was grateful to FHTR and Rajasthan Tourism for organizing RDTM 2022 which was a huge platform where a lesser-known destination like Banswara could be showcased.
RDTM 2022 was unique in that it provided a platform for different sectors to showcase their products. It also gave an opportunity to NGOs to showcase their work on such a large platform.
Natasha Smith of Help In Suffering expressed her gratitude to the organizers and the Government of Rajasthan for the opportunity to showcase their cause on such a large platform. Natasha’s organization runs an animal charity hospital in Jaipur.
The Jaipur Foot is globally renowned for making prosthetics affordable. They too had an opportunity to exhibit their products at RDTM 2022. “RDTM invited us to showcase our products and spread awareness, as though we are one of the largest NGOs, there are people within Jaipur who do not know about it.” Jaipur Foot provides prosthetics free of cost irrespective of the economic status of the patient.
Click the Link for RDTM 2022 Video
Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 – What The Buyers Had To Say
The Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022, was an event that buoyed the sentiments of the travel and tourism fraternity. Optimism was writ large on the faces of the buyers who attended the event from across India. We spoke to a few of the Buyers, and this is what they had to say.
Mr Jaysen Dash of Jaysen Holidays in Puri appreciates the initiative of RDTM 2022 and says that it was a great opportunity for him to know about the latest developments in Rajasthan in the past couple of years.
Mr Janardan Das Sairam Jena of Parikrama Travels, Puri, is happy for getting an opportunity to participate in the B2B meeting at RDTM 2022 and to know about new properties in the course of the post-mart fam tour.
Mr Amarnath BA of Matha Vacations, Bangalore, attended the Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart for the first time. He said, “it is a good proposal from Rajasthan Tourism, they have done a wonderful job, showcasing properties and destinations.”
Talking about the Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 and the post-mart fam tour, Ms Sanghamitra Jena, Founder Director of Eastern Treasure India Tours, said that the experience would help them in the promotion of Rajasthan in a different way.
“RDTM 2022 was a good opportunity for us as we met new sellers from Rajasthan, and also the experience would help us in explaining our products in greater detail,” said Ms Amita Devashrayee of Travel Vacations, Ahmedabad.
“This was my first time in RDTM, but I had heard that it was really good, so I decided to attend RDTM 2022, and I really liked exploring the destinations and properties and getting first-hand information,” said Ms Kashmira Thaker of Horizon Holidays, Ahmedabad.
“RDTM has arranged the B2B meetings and the fam tours fantastically,” said a visibly elated Mr Sameer Deshmukh of Nature Tours, Mumbai.
Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 – Post-Mart Fam Tours
The RDTM 2022 ended in Jaipur and on cue the post-fam trips took off from there. The visiting buyers and media were given a first-hand experience of different destinations, cultures, and heritage of Rajasthan. Many of the beautiful hotel properties of the state were also showcased.
There was a choice of 4 different Fam trips to choose from. The trips covered places like Mandawa, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Ajmer, Pushkar, Alwar, Sariska, Ranthambore, Bharatpur, Kumbhalgarh, and Ranakpur. In a nutshell, the diverse attractions of Rajasthan across the spheres of heritage, nature, and wildlife were showcased in the course of the fam trips.
The Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 has visibly succeeded in revving up the spirits of the travel and tourism industry and set the tone for its upward growth. In the words of Mr Khalid Khan, Chairman, RDTM, the visitors are sure to have Rajasthan on their minds for a long time to come. He signs off by saying,
“Padhaaro Marey Rajasthan.”
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Your guide to the Rajasthan Travel Mart is impeccable. It seemed as if the event was unfolding in front of my eyes. Was intrigued to know about some of the new steps in tourism. Shekhawati has been on my travel bucket list for long. Thanks to your post I am remotivated!
I love attending travel marts. Such a wonderful way to gain knowledge and network.
Also, have you changed the name of your blog? Well it sounds amazing!